potionstopesto.blogspot.com: December 2015

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Dog food from the stars

I found the last of the chickweed hiding in the shade in the vegie patch today, a sign summer has arrived. During the cooler months it acts as a lush green ground cover over much of the garden.

Chickweed, named stellaria media for its small white flowers, is one of my favourite wild herbs. Rich in vitamin C, it is a useful winter green in salads and as a cooked vegetable if you can harvest enough of it.

Medicinally, chickweed is one of the best herbs for inflammation and itching and useful in the treatment of eczema and psoriasis, bites and stings. Chickweed dries well so you can store enough to last the warmer months. Harvest before the flowers open and chop into 1-2 cm lengths before spreading on a rack.

My chickens love its soft juicy leaves and I encourage it to grow along the fence line where they can graze on it through the wire. My biggest animal success with chickweed has been with the dogs. I rescued Louis, my long haired dachshund six months ago. He was underweight, nervous and had scaly, itchy skin and scratched and lost hair continually.

I have fed my dogs a 50% meat/50% raw vegetable diet for years and to this I now added two big handfuls of fresh chickweed, 5 tablespoons of ground linseed for each kilo of lean meat and for Louis 2 fish oil capsules. I also make a strong brew of chickweed vinegar which I add one tablespoon of to the final rinse when he gets bathed. His coat is glossy and the hair loss is much reduced. He still scratches but much of that is due to the seeds and prickles he picks up while being the mighty hunter he thinks he is!

Never have the dogs had vet visits for anal gland problems. Toto lived to the ripe old age of 20, despite losing all his teeth when he was 11. Lady, the other dach, is now 17 and doing well on the diet too.

Dog Dinners

1 kg lean meat (I mostly use kangaroo)

800g carrots

2 stalks celery, with leaves

1 stalk broccoli (eat the florets yourself)

½ beetroot

Handful of fresh parsley

5 Tbsp ground Linseed (flax)

Grate all vegetables in a food processor and mix in linseed and meat.

Store in meal size containers and freeze.

Add fish oil capsules daily as needed.

I also feed the dogs chicken necks and the occasional raw bone and avoid processed food as much as possible.

Baked Olives

Pickled Red Cabbage

2kg red cabbage (prize winner if possible!)
3 Tbsp salt
2 litres spiced vinegar, purchased or homemade.

Shred cabbage finely, layer one third cabbage in a ceramic bowl, sprinkle over one third salt and repeat twice.
Put a layer of plastic wrap over the cabbage and then a small plate.
On top of the plate put a heavy weight. A pot of water or a couple of bricks on top of a round chopping board work well.
Leave overnight and in the morning drain liquid and rinse well.
Put in steriised jars and cover with spiced vinegar.
Leave one week before eating with cold meats or cheese or as a side dish with bangers and mash.

One of my all time favourites - perfect for a quick meal on a cold day.

Chickpea and Chorizo Soup

1 onion diced
1 red chilli seeded and chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
420gm can of tomatoes, chopped
1 can water
2 tsp All Purpose Seasoning (see Seasonings)
1 chorizo sausage, cubed
1 can chickpeas, drained
150gm cabbage, sliced finely
Grated parmesan

1. Sauté chilli and onion in oil for 2 minutes, stirring.
2. Add tomatoes then water, sausage and seasoning powder and bring to the boil.
3. Add chick peas and cabbage and cook until cabbage is wilted.
4. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
TIP
Use other beans if chick peas are not available, use two cans for a main meal dish. Broccoli, cauliflower or spinach can substitute for cabbage. This soup improves with age, I like it better reheated.

Lemon Mushroom Pasta

Serves 4.
Dressing
½ tsp chilli powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ tsp salt
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
3 Tbsp olive oil

Pasta
400g dried linguine cooked according to the package instructions
300g fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 block tempeh, cut in 2cm squares (optional)
1 Tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp spring onions, finely chopped
¼ Lebanese cucumber, sliced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1. Make the dressing by combining all ingredients, except for the sesame oil and olive oil in a food processor or hand blender. Run the blender for a few seconds, until all ingredients are combined. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.
2. Heat a frying pan over high heat. Add the butter and oil and when the butter starts bubbling, add the mushrooms. Sauté on high for 3 minutes. Remove from pan.
3. Add more oil if needed and sauté the tempeh until brown.
4. In a large bowl, toss the cooked linguine with all the other ingredients and some of the dressing (to taste.)

Tempeh Pate

2 cloves garlic
1 onion
1 Tbsp butter
300g tempeh
2 eggs
3 Tbsp brandy or ¼ cup port
2 tsp mushroom soy
2 tsp vegemite or promite ½ tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp chilli sauce
¼ tsp pepper
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1.Saute chopped onion and garlic in butter until soft.
2. Place in food processor with all other ingredients except sesame seeds and process until smooth.
3. Pour into a small, well greased casserole dish. The pate needs to be at least 2 cm deep.
4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cover tightly with foil.
5. Bake at 180˚C for about 50 minutes until set. Remove foil and cook a further 5 minutes or until the top has browned slightly.